Tanzania

23 million people have no choice but to drink dirty water from unsafe sources.

people in Tanzania don't have access to safe water.

44 million people don't have access to adequate sanitation in Tanzania.

Over 4,000 children die every year from diarrhoea due to unsafe water and poor sanitation in Tanzania.

Tanzania is the largest country in East Africa, home to over 52 million people. Due to the hot, dry climate, safe water is scarce and growing enough food is often difficult for the mostly rural population.

The crisis

23 million people in Tanzania do not have access to safe water. Typically, women and children spend over two hours a day collecting water, and up to seven hours in remote areas.

Access to toilets is even lower – with 44 million people living without adequate sanitation. This is particularly problematic in densely populated, unplanned settlements.

Over 4,000 children under five die each year from preventable diarrhoeal diseases caused by poor water and sanitation. There are wider impacts too, particularly on education and livelihoods.

Our approach

We have been working in Tanzania for three decades, providing communities with life-changing safe water and toilets. During this time, we have engaged with decision-makers to influence policy and encourage investment.

As in all the countries where we work, we use simple, low-cost technologies that will be more sustainable long term. These include a new type of pump designed to tackle the problem of emptying latrines in slums.

We have also used innovative mapping technology to record the location and condition of water points across the country. This will provide valuable data for use in both our service delivery and advocacy work.

Our impact

In Tanzania last year we reached:

28,000 people with safe water

247,000 people with improved sanitation.

Country details

Capital: Dodoma

Population: 52 million

Area: 945,203 km2

Other Main Cities: Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mwanza, Tabora

A sustainable water source

With the new water source, everyone has more time. I can now look after the household.

Ernesta Dosa

Age 37, Barabara Ya Mwinyi, Tanzania

Ernesta lives in Barabara Ya Mwinyi, an area of Tanzania where people had to rely on hand-dug open wells for water. Together with a local partner, we helped the community to drill a borehole fitted with an electric pump to supply six tapstands in the area.

Ernesta helped to excavate the trench and carry concrete for the storage tanks. She also learned how to keep the environment clean and boil water before use – important lessons that she is passing on to her children.

The community pays a small amount for each bucket of water they collect, and the money is used to pay the tapstand attendants' wages and maintain the water point. The community has also set up a water committee to ensure the supply is sustainable long-term.